Still deeply concerned about the impact Comcast's proposed takeover of NBC Universal may have on them, NBC affiliates are withholding their blessing of the $6.5-billion deal pending signed assurances from the two companies, according to NBC Affiliate Board Chairman Mike Fiorile.

Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts and NBCU President Jeff Zucker have responded to a host of follow-up questions from Senate Judiciary Committee members about their proposed joint venture, with Roberts saying his company will not discriminate against competitors Web programming, but making no promises about putting all, or any, new programming on the Web.

In the wake of last month's heated Senate hearing with executives from NBC and Comcast, Sen Al Franken (D-MN) wanted some guarantees that the companies would continue to offer their content online on sites like Hulu.com after the proposed merger.

Many of the country's biggest television providers have signed on to a petition asking the government to revamp station retransmission rules. Cablevision, Charter, DirecTV, Dish Network, Time Warner Cable and Verizon all joined the coalition of providers and nonprofit groups in signing the petition on Tuesday. But the nation's biggest cable company, Comcast, was missing.

The real fight to watch isn't on television -- Conan vs. Leno, Olbermann vs. O'Reilly. Rather, it's about television, and the future of online video -- a fight that pits cable and content companies against consumers.

Rick Boucher (D-VA), chairman of the House Communications Subcommittee, says he has some follow-up questions for the heads of Comcast and NBCU about access to online content, which he suggests should be the same for consumers after the proposed joint venture as before.

Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Senate antitrust subcommittee, has written to NBC to express concern that some of its Internet coverage of the Winter Olympics is limited to pay television subscribers.

House Judiciary Committee, Independence Avenue and South Capitol Street, Washington, DC, 20003, United States

Recommendation:

2

Congress held another hearing on Comcast's proposed buyout of NBC Universal on Thursday, and as at earlier gatherings, the critics came out swinging. Perhaps the most intriguing testimony came from economist Thomas Hazlett, who was circumspect about prospects for the proposed deal.

A coalition of consumer advocates, labor interests and video service providers are urging Comcast President and CEO Brian Roberts to drop litigation that seeks to overturn a Federal Communications Commission regulation he has pledged to follow even if his company prevails in court.

In written questions to Comcast and NBC Universal regarding their $30-billion proposed marriage, Sen Al Franken wants Comcast and NBC Universal to promise that it will put all its television shows online.

Rayburn House Office Building, Independence Avenue and South Capitol Street, Washington, DC, 20003, United States

Recommendation:

3

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and NBC CEO Jeff Zucker went in front of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust and Competition and the House Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications to defend their proposed merger. And while "Say Anything" was actually produced by competitor 20th Century Fox, that seemed to be the mantra of both CEO, as both got caught out in some creative truth stretching -- if not outright lies.